Trying A Charlotte Car Accident

Recently after a successful car accident trial here in Charlotte I was asked by another lawyer what is the most important factor to get across to a jury. It was a very astute question and the immediate answer I had was confidence. In my humble opinion, after numerous trials in front of juries across North Carolina, I believe the jury is looking to the lawyer to provide a credible version of the events that is believable and trustworthy.

I have been honored to represent thousands of people injured in NC car accidents. I my humble opinion one of the hardest things for people to understand is that there is always two sides to every story. In cases when you are dealing with injuries from a car accident and there is an insurance company on the other side of the aisle you can expect to hear a different version of events. Most of the time the other version of the story isn’t about who caused the car accident, its about whether the car accident caused your injury.

The lawyer for the insurance company spends a majority of the trial trying to weaken the case in any way they can. This means if they can weaken the case on fault they will try. If they can weaken the case on damages they will try. Remember, with a jury of 12 people the defense only has to convince one person their argument is the right one, the plaintiff has to convince all 12.

The jury comes to court “unbiased”. However, they are unbiased only in the sense that they don’t know anything about your case. However, they have been spoon-fed misinformation from insurance companies for years regarding frivolous lawsuits, ambulance chasers, and runaway juries. The job of your lawyer is to explain your case in a way that the jury can overcome their biases and agree with your version of events. In North Carolina, juries have to agree unanimously. Getting 12 people who know each other to agree is difficult, getting 12 strangers to agree is even tougher.

That is why I believe the most important factor to get across to the jury is confidence. Too many lawyers don’t give jurors enough credit. Jurors are smart and perceptive. They can see through dishonesty and can sense when someone is being disingenuous. They can tell when a lawyer doesn’t believe what they are saying. If your personal injury lawyer doesn’t believe in your case, the jury won’t either and it will be reflected in the outcome.

I once witnessed a trial where the plaintiff’s lawyer kept mispronouncing his name to the point where the client had to correct him on the stand. It wasn’t a good outcome. That is why I believe in getting to know my clients. That philosophy doesn’t stop with the initial meeting but continues throughout your treatment, dealing with the insurance company and trial. I don’t pass you off to an associate. If I decide to take your case I am the attorney who handles it from start to finish.

This rule applies to defense counsel as well. With insurance companies offering injured parties very little money today more and more lawsuits are being filed. Defense attorneys are swamped with lawsuits. While that may be good business there are only so many facts you can keep in your head at the same time. I have witnesses defense attorneys arguing to a jury the facts of a different case which had nothing to do with the case we were trying. The look on the jurors faces was one of confusion and anger for wasting their time.

Failure to work with your clients and learn about them and what their most important issue is can lead to disaster. There is no substitute for knowledge. This is no different from reading a book versus having a friend telling you about the book. By reading the book you have a much stronger grasp on all the characters, story line, and plot versus someone else version of the book.

In a courtroom the jury is looking to someone they can trust. They are looking for someone who doesnt waste their time since they have other things they would rather be doing. When I try a case I limit my objections and sidebars with the judge. This speeds up the trial. Also, I get the point with my witnesses when they are testifying. I ask pointed questions and do not repeat the same question over and over again. While I think every jury comes in with skepticism it is my job, not to convince them, but to show them my client’s story is correct and to disregard the noise coming from the defense.

I do not believe in trying to convince a jury. I think that is a discredit to the jury process. Juries are smart and perceptive. If we are inside a windowless room and I kept telling the jury the sky was blue and the defense kept arguing, without merit, the sky was black I would do anything in my power to show them the truth. This can be done through witness testimony or by bringing the jury outside so they can come to the right conclusion and ignore the noise from the defense.

Finally, the only real chance the lawyer gets to speak with the jury is closing arguments. I don’t argue with the jury. I don’t try to convince them. I believe the most effective closing arguments is showing the jury the evidence and explaining why the defense is making so much noise (the insurance company doesn’t want to pay). In the end juries want to do the right thing. Juries are good honest people who, in my experience, listen and do their best to render a good result. The lawyer who fails to treat the jury with the respect they deserve run the risk of a poor outcome for their client.

I have been fortunate to try cases in courts across North Carolina. As a personal injury attorney, I strive for the best outcome for my client. Please feel free to contact me to discuss your case. The call is free and there is no obligation.

I can not say enough about this law firm. They were very professional but had a way of making you feel like you were their only case. They worked so hard for us, kept us informed at all times and we are very pleased with the outcome. Cory was so helpful and straight to the point. Isaac is so professional, polite and works harder than anyone I know. He was always on top of everything and his knowledge on everything about our case was incredible! I highly recommend them and their services!

Kevin Hughes

00:14 31 May 18

I highly recommend this Firm. Cory and Issac were always extremely professional and frequently went above and beyond the call of duty. They worked diligently, always responded quickly and answered my unending questions with grace and patience. I wouldn't hesitate to reach out to them again if I needed legal advice/counsel.

anim reyna

15:01 29 Mar 18

Highly recommended!! I worked with both Corey and Mathew and they are both EXCELLENT attorneys! Delma and Issac the paralegals that work in the office are beyond great! I would recommend this law office to any of my family members, friends and even strangers! I brought two cases to them(one was on going for almost two years) and they worked it all out for me and I was very satisfied with the results and would return back to them

Marissa Jackson

15:27 16 Mar 18

I am grateful to have worked with Cory Rosensteel and his team, I personally worked with Isaac Barker. A great team that really helped me understand and answer any questions I had along he way. Very happy with the way the case settled thanks to them. Will definitely be recommending them to anyone looking for great team.

Adero Burbridge

14:55 29 Apr 18

Rosensteel Fleishman was recommended to us to help with an auto accident. Our attorney Matt Fleishman and his paralegal were very professional and patient when aiding my elderly parents with their situation. Throughout the process, they were always available and kept us abreast of what was happening with the case. I would and have recommended them to friends and family.

Kimberly Morrison

10:45 19 Jun 18

Corey Fleishman and his staff are fantastic. Calls, emails and any questions you have are returned promptly. Every aspect of my case was explained thoroughly to me. I highly recommend this law firm to anyone who has been in an accident. Luis was always patient and informative. Great job on mine and my children's settlement. I HOPE to never have to go thru this process again, but if I do....Rosensteel and Fleishman will get the first call.. Great job everyone!

David Glassman

02:06 17 Jul 18

Excellent communication and customer service. Cory was very easy to talk to each step of the way. Isaac was amazing to work with. He answered every question I had along the way as well. I would highly recommend this firm.

zohaib rizvi

17:00 23 Jul 18

I cannot recommend this law firm highly enough. I am very much satisfied with the way the case settled. Paralegal, Luis, had always kept me updated on my case and at every stage of my case, Mathew thoroughly explained the options and let me take the informed decision; and answered all my questions througout the case as well. Very happy with the settlement, Thanks to Matthew and team. Highly recommended law firm.

Amanda Krawiec

21:10 21 Aug 18

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! My husband was in a car totaling crash where he sustained neck & back injuries as well as a concussion that caused months of issues. The person who hit him did not have insurance. I can’t explain the hell we went through before we found Matt Fleishman and Issac Barker. It was a tricky situation and without their legal help and expertise we would have had even more headache(then he was already experiencing). They knew exactly what steps to take and handled all his dr bills as well as recommended great drs. Issac personally called just to check on us, some of those calls I spent crying to him as a wife seeing her husband suffer. Thankfully my husband recovered and we were able to get our case settled to our liking. If you want results, expert legal advice & kind people handling your troubles I would go here!!! Thank you so much for all the time you put into handling every piece of this horrible experience so we didn’t have to! I can firmly say they went above and beyond!

Shaquille Clary

19:43 09 Sep 18

I had an an amazing experience with the Fleishman group. Tiffany and Luis were excellent and very helpful with my experience. They upheld the highest professionalism at all times and made it a top priority that my case be handled expeditiously. My attorney Corey Rosensteel is an seasoned professional and will take care of your every need. I will use the same team in the future and I recommend them to anyone in need of attorney services. Thanks guys!!!

Nicole Loor

19:35 26 Sep 18

Highly recommend. Very professional and am very happy with everything they did for me!

K. L. Suess

00:28 09 Nov 18

HIGHLY RECOMMEND... Worked with Attorney Matthew Fleishman and Isaac Barker - both are professional, helpful and knowledgeable. Definitely feel they look out for the best interest of their client(s).